What used to be strictly worn by elementary school teachers and your grandmother have become an ever-present part of the holiday season. Yes, I am talking about those comically ornate, oh-so-ugly Christmas sweaters.

What were originally popular in the 1980s (see Chevy Chase in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation for a reference) have re-emerged as an essential article of clothing during the month of December. “According to the Wall Street Journal the actual mass-market ugly sweater reached its peak popularity sometime in the 1980s,” (Washington post). Bill Cosby is often seen as the so called creator of the ugly Christmas sweater. Cosby often wore gaudy, decadent sweaters such as the ugly Christmas sweater during his 1980s sitcom “The Cosby Show.”

The popularity of the sweaters is undoubtedly related to the growing “ugly Christmas sweater parties.” The first “ugly Christmas sweater party” is said to have been in Vancouver, Canada in the early 2000s, hosted by two men, Chris Boyd and Jordan Birch. The parties have since spread widely across the world. As a result of the growing popularity of the parties, thrift shops often sell out all their ugly sweaters.

Needless to say, the relentlessly tacky sweaters have become somewhat of a trend during the month of December. I mean, who wouldn’t want to wear a sweater with glitter, puffballs and an oversized image of Santa plastered on the front? This so called trend has become a booming business over the past decade, enticing retailers to get involved.

Because these sweaters have become so popular over the past decade, retailers such as Urban Outfitters and H&M have begun recreating and selling ugly Christmas sweaters, but for steeper prices than you will find at the thrift shop.

The re-creation of the ugly Christmas sweater however, takes away from rummaging through the local Goodwill in search of that vintage Christmas sweater that was most likely worn by an overly enthusiastic music teacher in the past.

What is a laughable trend is a trend none-the-less. Whether or not they constitute a fashion faux pas, these ugly Christmas sweaters bring a sense of joy and merriment.  Isn’t that exactly what the holiday season is about?